Legend of the Smallest Army - Prince of Light
by Blanska
Summary: TAKES PLACE AFTER PART II - The Smallest Army never thought that they would get invited to a royal celebration! This story is a bit different than the previous ones, it's written more like a novel and less like fairy tales. Please, leave feedback amd let me know what you think! A bit late for Christmas I know, the story was inspired by the Christmas songs of Pentatonix.


When Lady Izar opened the door, her eyes went wide with surprise. She had been to many different lands and met all sorts of people, but she had never seen anyone like the two messengers who were standing in front of the mansion. They were dressed in white robes with ornate patterns of white gems on it, and wore elegant headpieces that jangled softly as they bowed before her.  
"We have come to see the brave heroes who defeated the necromancer, Qadir Prabhu. We have an invitation for them."  
Izar let them in and when all the five heroes had gathered to hear what the strange messengers had to say, they began to tell their wondrous tale:  
"We were sent by King Gerasinos, the ruler of beautiful Ochyróssa. Twenty years ago his son, the Prince of Light was born, who was said to become the greatest hero of the world, and fight the darkness everywhere. But the evil necromancer, Qadir Prabhu cursed our land, and froze every living soul, and every wave of the sea, to keep the prince from growing up and the prophecy from becoming real. But when you, brave saviors, have defeated the necromancer, his curse was broken and Ochyróssa was saved. The king will hold a great feast in your honor and sent us to bring you to Ochyróssa in safety."  
Lady Izar gave a warm smile as she saw the surprise and joy on her friends' faces. The five heroes got quite excited by the news, Levent was the first to speak and give voice to one of his many questions:  
"Where is this Ochyróssa exactly?"  
"In the middle of the Silent Sea. Only a day by boat." one of the messengers answered.  
"I know where the Silent Sea is, but I have never heard of a kingdom there." Levent admitted, still puzzled, and searching for answers in his memories.  
"I've never been farther from home than the time we went to the Frenzied Sea." Pellerin explained, half of him still lost in his thoughts, then a joyous smile appeared on his face. "It sounds like a grand adventure."  
"A celebration in our honor?" Fidelia was truly glowing with joy.  
"And I don't have a thing to wear!" Johan quipped, which the others rewarded with warm chuckles.  
"Does this mean that you will honor us with your presence?" one of the messengers finally asked.  
The heroes fell silent, and Lady Izar watched them, searching their faces, before saying anything, until Etele reassured her:  
"You know I wanted to go as soon as I heard the word feast..."  
Then Izar turned to the messengers and announced:  
"The Smallest Army is honored by your invitation and will attend the feast."  
Lady Izar chuckled quietly as her friends began to cheer and laugh behind her.  
She escorted the five heroes to the docks where a beautiful little boat waited for them. The messengers told her that the Smallest Army won't be away for very long, but things had gone wrong before in a matter of days. She wished them a safe journey and a great celebration, then waved them goodbye as they slowly disappeared behind the cliffs of the bay.

The Still Sea earned its name for a good reason. The sea along with the kingdom of Ochyróssa was frozen for twenty years, and now that the curse was broken, it was still calm and crystal clear, so it mirrored the twilit sky's various colors perfectly. The light of day was fading rapidly when the Smallest Army finally spotted their destination. The mighty city of Ochyróssa emerged from the horizon like a mirage, its white shores and walls half hidden behind a curtain of pale mist. As the boat slowly drew closer the bay, the five heroes heard a growing sound of a choir, singing wonderful harmonies through the soft fog. The songs were so beautiful that they conjured a single tear in Johan's eyes, and suddenly he had to focus on not freezing their own boat. He thought that he had never heard such lovely melodies before, then he remembered the hiangas that lured them to their island a few months ago. However, those songs were otherworldly, and this one sounded as powerful as human voices were able. They were nearing the docks, so Johan looked up and only then did he realize how enormous this city really was.  
As they reached the shore, the messengers helped them out of the boat, and a few well dressed envoys greeted them in the same fashion as the messengers did back in the mansion.  
"It is our pleasure to have you in our city, saviors." a young girl with golden curls told them as she bowed before the guests. "My name is Eunika, and I was tasked to escort you to the palace and ensure that you have everything you desire."  
The road to the palace wasn't long at all, but the citizens of Ochyróssa were crowded on the streets, cheering as they glimpsed the five heroes, and trying to get closer to see the famous saviors for themselves. There were people walking on long sticks as legs, lighting the colorful lanterns that were hanged on ropes between thin pillars along the main street. And through the cheering and chanting of the crowd, the sound of choirs grew louder with each step. The palace was surrounded by great white walls with pictures of heroes engraved on them, and on the top was the choir, their voices rising and falling in perfect harmony. As the five friends passed through the gates, they found themselves in a large garden. There were trees and flowerbeds everywhere, with an occasional statue or fountain, and long tables as far as the eye could see.  
"Welcome to our city!" they heard the bearded figure's voice. "I am King Gerasinos. I cannot tell you how grateful me and my wife, Aglaia are for the service you have done for us." he told them and then he bowed as everyone else did when they met them.  
"There is no way we could repay you for our son's and our kingdom's future." the queen spoke with a gentle voice. "We'd like to show you our gratitude with this celebration."  
"Come now, feast with us!" the king offered in a delighted tone.

A few servants escorted the Smallest Army to their table, but as soon as they were seated, a man with a long grey beard, and wearing an ornate white robe greeted them with a deep bow:  
"Our great saviors! I am Pelagos, High Priest of this land. I am truly honored to be in your presence. All the people of Ochyróssa are talking about your heroism, and now that you're finally here, they wish to see your unique talents that allowed you to defeat the evil necromancer."  
The five heroes agreed to showcase some of their magical abilities, and after a quick discussion, they were ready to impress the guests of the feast.  
First, Levent conjured an illusion of storm clouds with just a hint of lightnings on the walkway between the tables. Then Johan walked through the cloud and shot flames of different shape and size into the air. After that, it was Fidelia's turn to show her talent. She started to sing a soft melody, and suddenly some of the little purple birds of the island appeared and began to fly in circles around her. Then the guests could hear a roaring sound, and soon a part of the walkway rose above the cloud with Pellerin on top of it. When Etele stopped raising the ground beneath his feet, Pellerin turned into a purple bird and flew in a big circle above the tables. By the time he reached the others again, and turned back into his natural form, the cloud had vanished and Etele had restored the walkway's stones.  
The guests watched the performance in stunned silence, and when finally someone started clapping, the whole crowd exploded in loud cheering. The High Priest seemed to be impressed as well, he was clapping as he approached the five heroes once again.  
"Please, follow me!" he asked them, then led the Smallest Army along the walkway, up the stairs, towards the thrones of the king and the queen.

"May I ask how much you know about this prophecy?" the priest inquired while they were climbing the stairs.  
"Only what we have heard from your messengers." Levent replied. "That there was a curse upon the island that froze time itself to keep the prince from growing up and defeating the darkness."  
"Quite right." Pelagos said. "There is an eternal battle between light and darkness everywhere in the world. The priests of old have foreseen that a prince will be born one day, who will have the strength and the heart to fight the darkness and protect the innocents, not only here in Ochyróssa, but in other lands as well. Today, he is but a baby, but when he grows up, he will become the legendary champion of light and everything that is evil shall fear his name. Now you are one of the few who can approach Prince Elpis and present your offerings to the Prince of Light."  
"Offerings?" Fidelia asked with surprise.  
"Yes. Every other visitor who was allowed to see the prince has brought presents as it is customary amongst our people."  
"But we have no gifts to give." Pellerin stopped and gave his friends and the priest a baffled look.  
"Everyone has something to give." the High Priest told him, then continued his way up to the thrones.

After they had reached the top of the stairs, between the throne of the king and the queen, they could see a pretty, gilded cradle and inside there was a baby, so pure and white as the first snow of winter. Most likely, the great Prince Elpis had no idea what was going on around him, but when someone entered his range of vision, he always gave a little smile or chuckled and tried to reach their faces with his tiny hands. Levent was the first to approach him.  
"Young prince, I have nothing else to give, only this piece of advice. Try to be a wise person, keep an open mind, and stay humble, never think that you're better than anyone else in this world."  
When Etele stepped to the cradle, he couldn't help but give a warm smile to the wriggling infant.  
"My advice for you is simple, but one that I find very important. Surround yourself only with good people, who love you truly."  
Johan was the next in line. He stood quietly in front of the cradle for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts and find the right words.  
"Real love is one of the rarest things in the world. If you find people who love you for who you are, cherish them and don't ever turn on them."  
Fidelia stepped to the cradle, sighed heavily, and gave a shy smile as she wiped away a single teardrop from her cheeks.  
"You're very young, and I can only hope that this advice somehow stays with you. Don't let other people define you. Find out who you really are, and listen only to the people whom you would trust with your own life."  
The last one to step to the baby was Pellerin.  
"I'm not one for inspiring speeches and wise advices. But if you find your family, which doesn't necessarily mean that you're related by blood, don't let go of them, and protect them in every way you can."  
After each of the heroes presented their advices to the prince, the king and queen thanked them once again for saving their son and their kingdom.  
"I always thought that the first day of spring twenty years ago, would be the happiest moment in my life." the queen explained. "But now I treasure the day when you saved us even more."  
Pellerin seemed a bit puzzled by the queen's words, and after a few seconds of silence, he just had to ask her:  
"Why the first day of spring?"  
"It was the day when Elpis was born." the queen answered.  
"Twenty years ago..." Pellerin huffed with amusement.  
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Aglaia asked him.  
"It's just a bit funny that I was born on the exact same day."  
"This changes everything!" the High Priest proclaimed. "Until this day we thought that it was pure luck that you crossed paths with the necromancer. But this means you are blessed, and you were always destined to save this distant brother of yours."  
Then the priest addressed the guests, and gave a quite moving speech about the prince and his blessed savior.  
"Let the world know that the Prince of Light is here and the Age of Darkness is nearing to its end!"  
As soon as he said these words, hundreds of white doves took to the air and flew away in every direction, carrying the good news. This is when the real celebration began. Many guests left their seats and started dancing to the peculiar tunes and exotic rhythms, while the servants brought all kinds of food to the tables.

Four of the saviors hurried back to their table to join the celebration, but the food and dancing couldn't interest Levent at the moment, for he was still thinking about the words of the High Priest.  
"May I have a moment of your time?" he turned to Pelagos and tried to be as polite and considerate as his curiosity would allow him. "I know you probably wish to join the celebration as well, if so my questions can wait."  
"What kind of High Priest would I be, if I left your questions unanswered?" the priest said. "What do you wish to know, great hero?"  
"I'm not sure I understand how these prophecies work. I have heard of legends about oracles, people who can look into the future, but I've never seen any evidence that such things would truly exist."  
"I see. I'm afraid that I can't give you the evidence you need, because this is not something you will understand through facts and numbers. Facts too can differ depending on who you ask. Some say that the sky is blue. Others might say that it has many colors. Just as some people will tell you that everything in the world can be defined and explained by science, but I'm sure you already know that our world is not that simple. If you want to understand the great mysteries of life, you should stop looking for evidence, and learn to see in a different way."  
"But how could I ever understand things that no one can explain?" Levent shook his head softly. "How can you be so sure that this infant is truly the person that the prophecy is talking about?"  
"As High Priest, I need to keep my eyes and my mind open. I'm always listening, and I must notice the patterns of the world. I've seen many signs that told me that the prophecy is coming true."  
"And what if the prince grows up and turns out that he isn't the Prince of Light after all? Or what if he only becomes the Prince of Light because he's been hearing the prophecy all his life?"  
"The prophecy could come true that way too, yes."  
"But that would mean that his fate wasn't certain, his choices mattered, and things could have gone in a different direction. Yet, you're so sure that these prophecies have power over our lives."  
"Tell me something, great hero! Have you ever seen people with such powers as your friends before you've met them?"  
"I haven't." he answered.  
"Each of their powers is unique, they didn't learn them from wizards or witches. And somehow all five of you happened to meet in the perfect time, when you were all motivated to enter the tourney that made you famous. Somehow this Smallest Army managed to defeat all the experienced warriors and knights in the competition. Can you explain the force that gathered the five of you, and still keeps you together so strongly? Can you explain the miraculous things that have happened to you? The very fact that you're asking such questions is telling me the answer already. Did your mother, any of your mothers knew what will become of you? That their children will have such wondrous powers and achieve heroic feats? You don't have to be born with unique magical talents for your mother to know, to believe that you're special and capable of great things. Because they have one thing that can't be explained your way, and that is faith."

The dishes served at the tables were all peculiar and Etele was enjoying every single one that he tasted. There wasn't much space in his stomach for more food, so he decided to take a break and watch the dancers... although he could still eat just one more of those pretty muffins. He took one of them back to his table, sat down on his chair, and took a deep breath. The air was filled with the smell of food, the voices of merriment, and the night wasn't cold at all, it was almost warm, with a cool breeze going around the garden. Etele spotted Johan who was trying to learn one of the dances with some other guests eager to help him. Their joyful laughs occasionally rose over the noise of the crowd and Etele could tell from his teachers' reactions that Johan was learning quickly. Then he noticed a young couple dancing not far from them, paying no attention to the world, smiling at each other's words. They were brought back to reality just for brief moment as a tiny child bumped into them. The little boy looked up at the couple, then carried on running with clumsy steps, adorned by a loud giggle, the sort only a child could make. He maneuvered awkwardly through the crowd, often glancing behind him, which resulted in even more little accidents. Etele could see the older child who was chasing him, appearing from the crowd, then vanishing again. He looked back to the small boy who was nearing his table by then, but getting unnervingly close to a lit brazier. Etele instinctively jumped up from his seat and leaped towards the child, catching him as he stumbled around the flames.  
"Careful, now!" he told the boy. "You don't want to get burned on such an exciting evening."  
The child in his arms was stunned by surprise and just stared at Etele with his big blue eyes.  
"What's your name?" he tried to break the ice, but it didn't seem to work. "I'm called Etele."  
"His name is Panos. And mother has been looking for him for hours." the older boy spoke as he emerged from the crowd.  
"Ah, that's why you were giggling so loudly! You were running away from bed time, weren't you?" Etele smiled at little Panos, who mirrored his expression as he thought of his own mischief.  
"Yes, he found it very amusing. But mother's going to be cross with us both." the older brother declared and crossed his arms showing his disapproval.  
"Let's find your mother, then!"  
In a few minutes they all arrived at a beautifully carved fountain with a worried mother washing the dirt from the third brother's face while muttering to herself angrily.  
"Oh, thank the heavens!" she sighed as she turned around and saw the other children. "What were you thinking running off like that? You could have got lost. Would you like that? Being alone, lost in a crowd?"  
"No." little Panos admitted and lowered his head in shame.  
"Come, now!" his mother picked him up and held him close as she finally turned to Etele. "Thank you for bringing him back."  
"You're welcome." the young hero smiled. "Are you taking care of all three on your own? May I ask where there father is?"  
"He's off parading around with the soldiers." the woman shrugged. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it by now. Come on, now, boys! Go home, I'll right behind you."  
The two older brothers followed their mother's directions as she thanked Etele one more time and before she left, the young hero remembered the muffin in his pocket.  
"Don't tell your mother." he jested as he placed it in the little boy's hands.

The stars were like many shining jewels in the night sky, again and again they became blurred in Fidelia's eyes. Yet she couldn't stop staring at the tiny lights, she looked back at sky as soon as she wiped away her tears. She was sitting on top of the castle wall next to an empty path. The night was cooler so far from the crowd, and the sounds of celebration were so distant, they seemed like nothing more but the echoes of a dream. Then she could hear soft footsteps breaking the silence, and turned to see Johan approaching her. She quickly wiped away a tear from her cheek, and attempted to compose herself.  
"What's wrong?" Johan asked with concern in his voice.  
"Nothing, really." Fidelia forced a weak smile which failed to reassure her friend.  
Johan climbed onto the wall and sat down right next to her.  
"An entire city is celebrating us and you're sitting by yourself in the emptiest corner of the castle. Yes, you must be feeling blissful."  
Fidelia gave a soft chuckle followed by a sigh heavy with emotions.  
"I was just thinking..."  
"You can tell me." Johan tried to encourage her.  
Fidelia looked down at her feet, then raised her eyes to the starry sky once more.  
"I was thinking about us. And all the things we've done. There's always so much work to do, we're off having adventures, falling into trouble, then trying to escape it. And as long as we're on the road, that's all there is. People call us either monsters or heroes, but in our own eyes, we're just people drifting in the wind, holding on to each other. The people of Ochyróssa worship us as saviors, but in truth we never intended to save them. We didn't even know about them. We all had our reasons to enter the tourney, and our greatest motivation was to survive all of it. We were acting out of our own fears and desires, and cared about nothing more, yet we had great influence on many lives. Seeing this, realizing what it means to these people... it's overwhelming."  
Johan listened to Fidelia's thoughts patiently, watching her face as she explain her melancholy and when she finished, instead of a reply he just embraced her in a hug. Once again new, warm tears ran down on the girl's cheeks as she hugged him back, desperate for comfort.  
"I know it's a lot to bear." Johan said as he gently stroked her back. "Not long ago we were no one, and now we're big noble heroes." he slowly pulled back from her and gave her a soft smile. "But let's think about responsibilities later. Come, let me show you something."

Johan took Fidelia's hand, and led her out of the castle, down to the coast and soon they arrived at a beach of starlight. The water was usually tranquil enough to mirror the stars, but this was something entirely different. The gentle waves lit up with bright blue light every time they touched the shores. There were a couple of other people on the beach who seemed to be quite entertained by the astonished look on Fidelia's face.  
"There are tiny creatures in the water." one of them explained. "They are invisible until something moves across the waves."  
They stepped closer to the shore and watched as the small stars began to shine when they reached the round, crystal pebbles of the beach.  
"Come on, take off your shoes!" Johan told his friend as he got rid of his own footwear. "They said we can go into the water."  
That lit up Fidelia's face, just like the tiny shining creatures lit up the sea. Once they were both barefoot, they stepped into the water, and watched the small waves brighten up around their ankles. Soon Johan decided that he had enough of standing around on the shore, and with a sudden leap he jumped into the water. He could hear Fidelia screaming with surprise and amusement, and saw a wide smile on her face after he came back to the surface.  
"It looked wonderful from here!" she shouted, her voice still filled with joy. "You have to see it for yourself."  
With that she took a few steps back, then ran and dove into the water just like Johan did before her. It must have looked a lot more stunning from the shore, but Johan still found the blue glowing of water amazing. The two of them spent long minutes admiring the lights as they moved around, played and splashed the shining water at each other. After a while Johan had this idea to keep spinning around, brushing the water with his hands, and trying to make it glow more and more. Fidelia smiled at the wondrous sight, then quickly followed his example. Together they made so much light, that it could easily outshine the lanterns of the beach. It was like blue sunshine that blazed only around the two of them, embracing them in a magnificent hug.

Pellerin was glad for the silence of the night for a change. It wasn't an empty silence, not with the celebration still whirring in the castle, the breeze playing with the leaves, and the creatures of the night fumbling quietly in the shadows.  
After the high priest had claimed that Pellerin was brother in fate to the crown prince, the people of Ochyróssa had gone drunk on enthusiasm. The young hero had hoped that the celebration would change back to its normal pace after a while, but the overjoyed masses followed him everywhere, proving him wrong. It was unbearable after a while, so he turned to Eunika for help, who then suggested a short walk around the castle.  
The short walk turned into a longer one, and now they were almost on top of the great hill that stood behind the city, always watching its citizens from the distance. The view was wonderful, Pellerin couldn't compare it to anything he had seen before. The large city with docks, tall houses and the proud castle, they were all lit with braziers, torches and colorful lanterns. It was like a meadow of darkness, with many shining flowers adorning it.  
"It's beautiful." he stated the obvious, but his tongue found nothing else to say.  
"It is the way we see it every day, at least in our hearts." Eunika spoke, she too captivated by the view. "Ochyróssa: great and glorious, shining light in the darkness."  
"Yes, I've gathered that the city is one of the objects of worship."  
"But you're still wondering the reasons for our devotion." the girl stated rather than asking. "You've seen the great, white walls of the castle, right?"  
"I have."  
"It's decorated with carving of kings and heroes, legendary figures that live in our memories and enjoy our worship. That way," she turned away from the glowing city, to face the darker side of the island. "lie the many villages of the people, sleeping under the cover of night. It's too dark to see it, but by daylight, you could make out the shape of great ruins in the distance, on the top of another hill. Our legends describe that ancient place as a citadel that had no match in beauty and glory in the entire world. Now it is nothing but ruins blackened by evil and betrayal and dark times, a home to shadows and scavengers, a wound in the land of Ochyróssa and in the hearts of our people. We've seen dark times, great hero, and we know we haven't seen the last of them. But we must have hope and strength to fight, when it comes again. The faith of the people was rewarded by your heroic deeds. It is no wonder that they are so enraptured to see the saviors."  
Pellerin gave a quiet sigh, and thought about all that Eunika told him. It wasn't easy to realize what these people had been through while he was doing his best to avoid their adoration. Now he thought that it wasn't really him or his friends whom the people of Ochyróssa celebrated, but their freedom from the dark spell, and their unwavering faith.

As Pellerin and Eunika approached the castle, the sounds of merriment and musical instruments grew louder, but as soon as they stepped through the main gate, a wave of hushing and whispers ran along the streets, and silence fell on the city.  
"What is it? What happened?" Pellerin asked the girl as quietly as he was able.  
"The Prince of Light has fallen asleep." she answered.  
The silence was surreal with all the people of the castle standing still, facing the royal thrones, and waiting without a word. Then suddenly a wave of movement flew through the crowd as everyone bent their knees, and bowed their heads in front of the Prince of Light. It was a moment that Pellerin would never forget. For just a moment he was part of the faithful people of Ochyróssa, with a wordless spell on him that filled his heart with admiration, humbleness and hope.  
The king and queen approached the Smallest Army once again and gave voice to their gratitude for a last time. The young heroes couldn't thank them enough for the invitation to the festivities, and wished king and country all the magnificent things they could think of. Then the messengers escorted them back to their boat, which rocked peacefully on the gentle waves.  
The great island of Ochyróssa became smaller with every minute that passed. It was like a fading dream floating away on the water. Pellerin took a long look at his friends. They were all exhausted from the long night, and most of them had already fallen asleep. Etele sat down, leaned back against the wall of the boat, and drifted into sleep as soon as he closed his eyes. He always looked so peaceful while sleeping. Levent rested his head on his friend's right shoulder. They were relaxed and frozen like statues, the only movement was their barely visible breathing. On Pellerin's two sides there were Johan and Fidelia. He couldn't take a good look at them, but he could hear from their slow breaths that they were asleep as well, motionless like rag dolls. Like children who fell asleep while playing. Pellerin enjoyed the peace of the scene, the view of his friends resting and dreaming of all their adventures and as the sky slowly gained back its colors, he too allowed himself to slip into reviving slumber.


End file.
